The West Australian Liberal Party is politically vulnerable after a painful six months despite a landslide election victory in March, analysts believe.

Prominent political commentator
Harry Phillips
said the downgrade of the state’s coveted AAA credit rating last week by agency Standard & Poor’s so soon after the state experienced a mining boom had given the WA Labor opposition ample ammunition.

“There is no bigger political blow than to lose AAA in WA. The opposition now has something to whip the government with," Dr Phillips said.

“This will be a very significant economic and political measure."

The change in fortunes for Premier
Colin Barnett
’s government is also attributed to delayed election promises; unpopular budget measures including a proposed solar rebate cut; public ­education protests and the process of council mergers.

The government’s standing contrasts with its election victory on March 9, when it emerged from minority ­government backs by the Nationals to holding the majority of seats.

The next state election is scheduled for March 2017.

Dr Phillips said the state Labor Party, led by
Mark McGowan
, would benefit from not having a deeply unpopular federal Labor government in power, which hurt Labor in the March state poll.

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“You’d have to say the state government will pay a penalty for what is ­happening now," he said.

S&P downgraded the state’s rating from AAA to AA+ last week amid volatile revenues and rising costs in the resource-rich state. The rating change was immediately attributed to a failure by the government to pursue several politically sensitive budget savings, such as its reversal of plans to halve the tariff paid to homes with solar ­panels that supply electricity to the state grid.

The longer-term cause is tied to ongoing expenditure – which includes public sector salaries – that is growing more than 10 per cent a year.

Political ­analyst
Peter Kennedy
said that no one could have predicted how quickly sentiment could turn against the state government. “The rating decision just symbolises the problems the government is having," he said.

Policy changes instigated by Mr Barnett, who was drafted into the Liberal leadership to contest, successfully as it happened, the 2008 election from underdog status, have recently been publicly criticised by some of his own MPs.

Mr Kennedy said Mr Barnett had not overcome persistent criticism that he did not consult widely on key decisions.

“One of his problems is that he doesn’t take people with him," he said.

Western Australia still has a AAA rating from Moody’s Investors Service.

The government has flagged it will privatise assets to pay debt and reduce interest repayments, which might help restore its S&P credit rating.